


Watch and Wait

by allfireburns



Category: Chess - Rice/Ulvaeus/Andersson
Genre: Cold War, M/M, POV Third Person, Short, sketch - freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-01-05
Updated: 2010-01-05
Packaged: 2017-10-05 19:35:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 334
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/45334
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allfireburns/pseuds/allfireburns
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Anatoly keeps looking, because getting away can't be so easy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Watch and Wait

Anatoly doesn't miss Molokov as a second, not even a little. He did know the first thing about chess, but not much beyond that.

He doesn't miss the constant need to watch whatever he says or does, the constant feeling that he's being _watched_, whether Molokov is actually in the room or not.

Being in London, with Florence, is the closest to safe he's felt in what he's certain are years, what feels like forever. He's _happy_ with Florence.

A part of him is convinced it won't last.

A part of him keeps looking for Molokov, in shops, on street corners... and then one day he sees him, glances up and there he is, watching like he's just been waiting for Anatoly to notice. Anatoly's heart jumps, or tumbles - he can't quite tell the difference.

A bus passes, and Molokov is gone, like he'd never been there in the first place.

Anatoly returns to Florence's flat shaken, and unsure if he's more bothered that Molokov disappeared, or that he saw him at all.

* * *

His first night in Bangkok, he comes down from his and Florence's room to the hotel lobby, and Molokov is standing there, exactly the same, like he's just been waiting. He smiles, and Anatoly freezes for just a second before walking up to him. Molokov speaks before Anatoly has the chance.

"Anatoly. It's been a while."

"Not long enough," Anatoly says, without much feeling. Molokov greeted him in Russian; Anatoly answers stubbornly in English. "Is there something you want from me?"

_Were you really there in England, or am I losing my mind?_

"Just to say hello, Anatoly." He steps away from the wall, steps past Anatoly, his fingertips brushing over the back of Anatoly's hand before he moves away. "I'll see you soon."

And then he's gone, again, fading into the background of the crowded hotel lobby as no one but a KGB agent can, and Anatoly's left standing there, his hand burning faintly with the memory of Molokov's fingers.


End file.
